Grosky's Unicorns
by Galadriadhar
Summary: Grosky hadn't realized that retirement would be so... boring.


The television droned, barely covering the gusty sighs coming from the moth-eaten chair. A short man was slumped in the chair. His hair was limp, and his clothes were dirty. Absently, he took a bite of a chip.

 _Ha!_ the man thought. _Soap operas. Is this what the great Inspector Clamp Grosky has fallen to? No, not 'Inspector,'_ the man remembered, chuckling hollowly. _I never thought retirement would be so… boring._

And Grosky _was_ bored. It wasn't an 'I can't think of anything to do' bored. No, it was an 'I do not know what I'm doing with my life' bored. That's the worst kind of boredom. The ex-Inspector had retired, ready to exercise every day, run through London with Emmy Altava, and climb buildings- literally. What had come of that?

Nothing. He felt no incentive to exercise now that he wasn't chasing ne'er-do-wells every hour. Emmy had left for who-knows-where. And apparently climbing buildings was against City Law 123.73908, where it was explicitly stated that the only people who could climb buildings were superheroes. So Grosky had to fall back on his Plan ZZZZ, as Plans AAAA through ZZZY had fallen apart. The most worrying thing? He was actually beginning to care that Marcia couldn't decide between Guy and Alberto Montoya.

Grosky stretched, knocking his platter of fish and chips onto the floor. The platter ended up hitting the television remote, changing the channel from _Soap Operas R Us_ to _London News Now._ Harry Callaghan was sitting at his desk, flashing his perfect teeth.

The ex-Inspector had to physically restrain himself from punching in his television set. That had happened to three previous television sets… But it was really hard for Grosky to stop himself. After Callaghan had slipped through his fingers twice, and then been found innocent the third time, Grosky had developed a deep dislike for the news anchor.

"And now we go to our on-the-scene reporter, Nancy Gingrich, in Dartmoor. Over to you, Nancy."

The television showed a live video feed of a beautiful, red-haired lady in a tan overcoat. "Thanks, Harry. As usual, it's raining on the moors. But our report is far more unusual." Nancy flipped her sopping hair out of her face, and Grosky wondered why she didn't have an umbrella. "Our informant is a young Charles Trenton. He witnessed a remarkable sight."

A male teenager with short hair slipped into the video feed. "Hey," he said. Nancy clapped the teenager on the shoulder.

"Charles is widely regarded as the most normal teenager in the Hescombe-Chartmouth area," Nancy explained. "That's what makes his sighting so believable! Charles, do you want to tell everyone?"

"I saw a unicorn on the moors, just to the south," Charles said, pointing southward. "It was heading into a copse of trees. I didn't see it for very long, but the horn was very prominent."

Grosky snorted. He got up and grabbed the remote and turned off the television just as Charles was leaving the video feed. "Unicorns," the ex-Inspector scoffed. He picked up his platter of fish and chips, salvaging stray crumbs and shreds of food. Examining a piece of fish, he popped it into his mouth and chewed.

He went to bed soon after that, but the television report raced through his mind. It was very confusing. Grosky had never believed in such creatures, and to have unicorns occupy his thoughts was very uncharacteristic of him. When he finally fell asleep, his dreams were filled with dragons, sirens, kelpies, and unicorns with majestic horns.

The next morning, he woke with a burning desire that had to be quenched. Dressing and shoving a couple of muffins down his throat, Grosky left his apartment for the first time in two weeks. The store down the street would serve his needs just fine.

At the store, he picked up every book that even mentioned a unicorn in passing. This included quite a few children's books. In the video department, he grabbed every movie that had some sort of unicorn in it, including a television series with magical horses and a couple of unicorns.

When he paid for everything, the clerk raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. The total, Grosky thought, was acceptable: 900 pounds. He gathered his merchandise and rushed home, but had to run back to the store for groceries. The total for his groceries was unacceptable: 100 pounds.

He put away his groceries and sat down with a large sandwich. Then he picked up the first book in his stack, _The Last Unicorn_ , and began to read.

That was how the next three weeks went. From before dawn to long after dusk, Grosky would read and watch, learning everything he could about unicorns. He learned that they were magic. He learned that they were endangered. He learned that, when angered, they wouldn't hesitate to stab someone in the spleen. He learned that, contrary to popular belief, males could approach unicorns- it was just a lot rarer, and often led to a nice hole.

When Grosky had read and watched everything, he sat in his chair for two days, digesting everything and feeling confusion. Why had he spent 900 pounds on all of that? It was just a fairy tale. 900 pounds on a fairy tale. His father would have some strong words for that.

Then a ray of enlightenment pushed through the confusion. There was always the simple test. Grosky pushed himself out of his chair, did thirty push-ups to make sure he was warmed up, left his apartment and locked the door, and then set off at a brisk sprint. He figured he could reach Dartmoor in two hours, possibly less. It all depended on the traffic.

Through the city Grosky sped. Hanna waved at him, and he waved back. He didn't notice her faint. The city turned into the countryside abruptly, so quick was Grosky's pace.

As Grosky sprinted through the countryside, he found himself thinking about his estranged wife. He fully admitted his error in their estrangement. All he had asked was why she liked to go onto the moors by herself and not with him, but Grosky knew he was to blame. He wondered idly if she would have believed in unicorns.

A couple of kilometers out of London, the traffic became congested. Grosky plunged onto the side of the road and passed all of the cars, then turned to take a direct overland route to Dartmoor. He arrived in an hour and fifteen minutes.

As Grosky came to a gradual stop, the grasses swayed around him. A slight breeze was blowing, drying up the sweat he had managed to accumulate. He looked around, eyes welling up with unshed tears.

He had stopped at his wife's favorite place to roam. One night Grosky had followed her and found her dancing at this exact spot. After the estrangement, he would return to the place and soak up her presence.

A sharp snort cut through his reverie. Grosky spun around and came face to face with the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. His jaw slackened slightly and tears started falling.

The creature was a unicorn. Its horn was as long as Grosky's arm, gleaming a pearly white. Near the base, the horn turned a smoky gray before gradually changing to blend into the unicorn's coat. The only thing that Grosky had seen that could even begin to describe the color was the coal soot from the old mining district mixing with the Thames. The unicorn's eyes were a deeper green than the pine forests of the highlands, soulful and expressive. It snorted at him and turned, tossing its mane in challenge.

Grosky smiled for the first time in a very long while. The unicorn sped toward a nearby copse of trees. He was stunned by the unicorn's speed for a few moments, but brought himself out of it and followed the unicorn at top speed.

The trees loomed up in front of Grosky, much larger than he had realized. But the unicorn had darted into the trees right before Grosky, so he continued after it.

For a minute, the only hints he saw of the unicorn were flashes of color through the trees. Soon, though, he started gaining on the unicorn. The realization that the unicorn was slowing down just a bit barely registered before he caught up with the unicorn.

Grosky shot a smile at the unicorn, who returned a joyful whinny. A marvelous sensation spread through Grosky's heart. This was why he had spent 900 pounds on unicorn merchandise. Here, running alongside him, was a like soul. This unicorn understood him, and he understood the unicorn.

By unspoken agreement, Grosky and the unicorn stopped in their tracks. They were standing underneath what had to be the largest tree in the grove. Grosky met the unicorn's eyes again, and slowly approached. The unicorn maintained eye contact, laughter dancing in the depths of the forest.

Unsure of why he was doing it, Grosky reached out his hand and placed it tentatively on the unicorn's nose. A spark coursed through Grosky's bloodstream, and he relished it.

 _Hello, companion_.

Grosky started as the voice came into his mind. It was a soft, masculine voice, with a hint of mischief and curiosity. The unicorn blinked, and Grosky understood.

 _That voice is yours,_ Grosky thought. The unicorn inclined his head slightly.

 _It is indeed, companion. I am Shadeback, and I have been waiting for someone. It must be you._

 _Shadeback… I am Clamp Grosky._ Grosky chuckled. _You run well, for an equine._

Shadeback whinnied, breaking the contact between his nose and Grosky's hand. _You run well for a two-legged human. I had never imagined such speed. But I went easy on you._

 _I know,_ Grosky replied. _When you slowed, I knew._ His forehead creased in concern. _You were waiting for someone? Why me? What's so special about me?_

The unicorn started trotting away. _You are a companion, Clamp_. _Some humans have connections to creatures like me: dragons, sirens, kelpies, and so forth. You happen to have a connection to unicorns. But…_ Shadeback stopped and Grosky almost ran into him. _You're not alone. Another of your family is a companion…_ Shadeback shook his head in frustration. _I cannot tell, though. But come. Someone would like to meet you, I think._

 _Who?_ Grosky asked.

 _That will be seen soon, Clamp,_ Shadeback said with a smile. _I believe you know this individual. Let us continue_. The unicorn started off again, and Grosky pushed through the undergrowth after him.

An hour passed, and the two were still wading through the undergrowth. Grosky wouldn't admit it, but he was getting tired. He pushed another large branch out of the way as he walked past, then stopped suddenly.

Shadeback was standing in a clearing. The clearing was bright and cheerful and full of flowers. Bees and butterflies weaved through the air, and five-inch tall humans tended the flowers.

Grosky rubbed his eyes and stared at the humans. They were tiny and fine-boned, with wings of every imaginable variety. Butterfly, bee, moth, and bird were just some of the varieties. The humans flitted about, watering and pruning and picking seeds. They would put the seeds in pockets on their iridescent gowns and then move to the next flower.

"Clamp?"

The soft, lilting, female voice paralyzed Grosky. He knew that voice. He _knew_ it like he knew his own voice. "Lillian?" He turned, with difficulty, to where the voice had come from.

A tall lady with blonde hair was walking toward Grosky, eyes full of emotion. Grosky stared at her, confused. "Oh, Clamp," the lady murmured, stopping in front of Grosky. "You found me."

"Shadeback found you," Grosky said, gesturing to the unicorn. The lady glanced at Shadeback.

"Thank you, Shadeback."

 _It was my pleasure. Is Clamp a friend of yours?_

The lady laughed. All around the clearing, the little humans let out chimes of happiness. "Oh, dear Shadeback, no. Clamp is my husband."

Shadeback's eyes grew wide. _Oh… That explains everything…_ He looked at Grosky. _I knew there was another with the connection in your family. I didn't realize it was Lillian, though_.

"Lillian, you're a companion as well?"

The lady, Lillian, nodded. She held a hand out to the little humans. "These are flower fairies. They take care of the blossoms of every flower. Oh, Clamp," she sighed, "I wish you could have seen them dance. When the moon is full, every flower fairy dons a new gown and dances on the moor. I would go and dance with them."

"Of course!" Grosky exclaimed. "That's why you would go without me to the moor! Of course! I understand it now!" He sobered quickly. "Oh, Lillian. I drove you away. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Lillian glanced at Shadeback, who tossed his mane ambiguously. She knelt down and stroked a flower, and as she did so, her eyes filled with tears.

"Clamp… I should be the one apologizing," Lillian whispered. "I was far too hot-headed. We could have patched and mended, but I stormed out. We knew," she continued, letting her arm drop to her side, "that we would have to work together. We vowed that nothing would stand between us. Do you remember that?"

Shadeback trotted over to where Grosky stood. Grosky gripped Shadeback's mane, and felt something flow into him. Peace filled his heart. He knelt beside Lillian and took her hand.

"I do remember that," he said quietly. "Maybe, though, we can still keep that promise."

Lillian looked up at Grosky. She smiled faintly. "You've always been the strong one, Clamp. You would hold me when I cried, when I lost friends, when I felt the world crashing down. Clamp… you might be able to go back, but I can't. I'm not strong enough." Shadeback whinnied and Grosky grinned.

"I think Shadeback is right," he said. "He says that you _are_ strong enough. Besides, it's not really going back. It's…" Grosky paused to find the right words. "It's putting the past behind us and not letting it stand between you and me anymore. That's really what it is, Lillian."

 _If anyone can do it, it's you two,_ Shadeback commented. _I've never felt love like the love the two of you possess for each other._

Grosky squeezed Lillian's hand. One of the flower fairies came over and glanced at Grosky, then put a hand on his arm. The fairy nodded and flew off, apparently satisfied with whatever it had felt.

"My fairies seem to approve," Lillian said. Her smile grew.

Grosky chuckled. "I want to put the past behind us, Lillian. And if the fairies and Shadeback approve, then I think we just might make it." He winked at Lillian. "After all, they are mythical creatures. Full of wisdom and magic, you know."

Lillian laughed and fell into Grosky's arms. He hugged her tightly.

"You're holding me up again," Lillian murmured.

"Well," Grosky said, stroking her hair, "sometime you can hold me up. Deal?"

Lillian nodded. Shadeback nickered and trotted to the other side of the clearing as Lillian and Grosky looked at each other and…

 _You know what? I'll never really understand humans._


End file.
